5 fighters who had the best chance of beating Khabib Nurmagomedov (before he retired)
As Khabib Nurmagomedov walks away from the UFC undefeated, it’s hard not to wonder if any fighter could have beaten ‘the Eagle’. With a spotless MMA record of 29-0, Nurmagomedov faced some of the best lightweights in the UFC.
However, there are few fighters in the lightweight division who could have potentially caused the now-former UFC champion problems. Here are 5 fighters who had the best chance of beating Khabib Nurmagomedov.
#5 Michael Chandler
Former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler definitely has the tools to cause problems for Khabib Nurmagomedov. With 27 professional MMA fights under his belt, Chandler has enough experience to not be overawed by the undefeated Russian.
A ‘Division 1 NCAA All-American’ collegiate wrestler from the University of Missouri, Chandler has an impressive wrestling background.
Known for his ability in scramble situations, he could have caught Khabib Nurmagomedov with a big shot if they were to grapple. More importantly, Chandler’s wrestling skills would have made it difficult for Nurmagomedov to take him down, resulting in a fight on the feet.
Michael Chandler showed his knockout power in his UFC debut when he demolished Dan Hooker in the first round. With 10 knockouts in his pro career, ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler could have been the first fighter to not only defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov but also knock him out.
#4 Charles Oliveira
Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira would have been the toughest lightweight fighter that Khabib faced in the Octagon. His impressive UFC record speaks for itself.
Oliveira holds the record for the most submissions in the UFC at 14. He is tied for the most finishes in the UFC at 16 and the Brazilian lightweight is currently riding an 8-fight win streak.
In his most recent performance, Oliveria dominated Khabib Nurmagomedov's longtime rival. Tony Ferguson. A matchup between Nurmagomedov and Oliveria would have been a captivating contest. Could Oliveira, the BJJ master, have become the first man to submit Nurmagomedov if they faced each other?
#3 Georges St-Pierre
Before Khabib Nurmagomedov retired, the one fight he wished for was against UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre. The French-Canadian MMA legend has been in retirement since 2019.
Both fighters had discussed a potential matchup, which would surely have broken every UFC pay-per-view record. Unfortunately, the fight never took place.
However, stranger things have happened in the fight game. There is no doubt that the former welterweight and middleweight UFC champion GSP has the tools to beat Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The combination of St-Pierre's size and wrestling ability could neutralize Nurmagomedov’s relentless takedown attempts. Add GSP’s amazing jab to that and we could have seen the ‘The Eagle’ defeated for the first time in the UFC if the two ever met in the Octagon.
#2 Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev is the dark horse in the list of fighters who could beat Khabib Nurmagomedov. This would be a classic ‘student vs teacher’ matchup. Makhachev trains with Khabib in Dagestan and at AKA in San Jose. In fact, Nurmagomedov was in Islam’s corner for his recent UFC fight against Drew Dober at UFC 259.
If the two agreed to fight each other, Makhachev has the skills to hand his teammate his first professional MMA defeat. He has won 7 fights in a row in the UFC and has only lost once in professional MMA.
Makhachev has a better standup game than Nurmagomedov, and after training with ‘The Eagle’ for so many years, he must know many of the champion’s tricks on the ground.
#1 Kamaru Usman
If Khabib Nurmagomedov wanted to cement his legacy and become the greatest UFC fighter of all-time, he could have gone up a weight class and faced Kamaru Usman. It would be a titanic battle between two dominant UFC champions
Usman is undefeated in the UFC and has won 13 straight fights while defending the welterweight title 3 times.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare' is physically much bigger than Nurmagomedov and is known for his relentless wrestling. Under Trevor Wittman, Usman’s striking has improved significantly and he also has the power to knock ‘The Eagle’ out.
A super-fight between UFC champions could be the reason Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to MMA.